New TV channel to be launched in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 17 (IANS) K. Muraleedharan, the state unit president of the Nationalist Congress Party and son of former Kerala chief minister K. Karunakaran, Sunday announced the launch of a new television channel named Janapriya Communications. “At least 49 percent of the equity will be collected from the public,” Muraleedharan told reporters at the inauguration of the proposed channel’s office here.

During the inauguration function Muraleedharan also distributed share certificates of the channel to the public.

Currently there are nine Malayalam channels in the state. Asianet was the first private Malayalam channel to be launched in 1994 and since then there has been a steady increase in their numbers.

At least five more channels, including three from prominent media groups in the state, are on the anvil. While Kerala Kaumudi’s channel is expected to go on air by this year end, Mathrubhumi and Mangalam Daily are slated to launch their channels by next year.

Apart from these channels, Guru Vision and NTV, a successful TV production house, are also scouting for investors from the Middle East.